The Ambassador of the United Kingdom to Georgia, Gareth Ward, was summoned to a meeting with the First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia, Giorgi Zurabashvili, the Georgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced.

According to the Ministry, the discussions focused on Georgia’s compliance with international sanctions regimes and the proactive performance of the Georgian Government and relevant state agencies in this regard.

“It was noted that given there is not a single recorded instance of Georgia breaching international sanctions, and since the Georgian authorities cooperate seamlessly with international partners, the persistent speculation surrounding this issue is entirely incomprehensible.

In this context, the focus placed on Georgia in the statement released by the Embassy regarding the United Kingdom’s sanctioning of the vessel SILVAR (IMO 9291262) is deeply concerning. This phrasing deliberately serves to reinforce false perceptions and damage Georgia’s national interests,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated.

According to the Ministry, the First Deputy Minister emphasised that referencing Georgia in the Embassy’s statement is unacceptable. He noted that at the time the vessel entered and operated within Georgia, it was not subject to any international sanctions. Furthermore, the ship held a valid class status from Lloyd’s Register (United Kingdom), operated across numerous international maritime trade routes, and frequented European, Asian, and African ports, including Malta, Denmark (Skagen), Egypt, Malaysia, India, and China. Crucially, all competent Georgian authorities acted in full compliance with their current national and international obligations.

“The British side is also well aware that just a few weeks before entering Georgia, the vessel underwent a Port State Control inspection in the Kingdom of Denmark. It was not detained, which confirms its full compliance with international maritime safety and technical oversight requirements,” the Foreign Ministry’s statement read.

During his conversation with the British Ambassador, Giorgi Zurabashvili stressed that the underlying spirit of the Embassy’s statement is unacceptable. He warned that such manipulative actions cast a shadow over relations between Georgia and the United Kingdom.

“At the conclusion of the meeting, the vital importance of constructive cooperation was underlined,” the Foreign Ministry stated.

To note, the British Embassy in Georgia released information on June 16 regarding the inclusion of the vessel SILVAR in its latest sanctions.